I live in rattlesnake country and have my dog vaccinated. There are two shots to start with then a booster every six months. Just as important is snake avoidance training. Since the vaccine does not cover all types of poisonous snakes.

I live in rattlesnake country and have my dog vaccinated. There are two shots to start with then a booster every six months. Just as important is snake avoidance training. Since the vaccine does not cover all types of poisonous snakes.

Pat

It doesn’t work on Eastern Timber Rattlers.

However I’ve been hiking with dogs for 45 years in snake territory without incident. Many sightings but no issues.

I had an offer on property in Eastern WA. Went up with a contractor to see about getting a foundation in. Contractor left and @ 10 minutes later I was driving down the glorified logging road. The contractor was standing in the road with a shovel. Got out and asked if all was OK, he said, yeah, he was just driving down the road and saw a huge rattlesnake coiled there. It went into the brush and he decided not to go after it (smart idea). Next day I spoke with the neighbors and they said, 'oh yeah, we forgot to mention we have snakes up here. We got up one morning and there was a baby rattlesnake on the deck."

I went into the local vet's office and asked about the rattlesnake shots and if they had them. They said no, but the vet in the next town did. I asked about the shots and they said they didn't give them because they weren't that effective and if your dog did get bitten, you'd still need to get them to the vet for treatment. The shots would help reduce the effects but they weren't a cure all.
I have 2 inquisitive dogs and decided I didn't want to deal with rattlesnakes so I backed out of the sale. I did purchase land the next county over and we don't have rattlesnakes here - probably the only county in Eastern WA that doesn't. (I used to live in TX and that's where I first heard of the shots. I thought the airport manager was pulling my leg when he mentioned he had to get his dogs vaccinated for rattlesnake bites - I'd never heard of it before. I looked it up later and found out he wasn't kidding.)

Lost my precious Sheila to a rattlesnake bite on the beach in St Augustine in 2017. DO NOT LET THEM IN THE DUNES. They will have approximately 2 hrs. to receive anti-venom, if bitten in the torso or neck region of the body. Some emergency vet hospitals carry the anti-venom.

I live and hunt quail with my Brittanys in New Mexico, which is definitely rattlesnake country. I've always kept the dogs' snake bite vaccinations up to date, but, thankfully, never have needed to test its effectiveness. We've seen a few snakes, but the dogs have never had a close encounter with one in over 20 years of hunting. What my vet has told me about the vaccine is that it is effective for Diamondbacks and Prairie Rattlers, but not for other varieties. I think the snake avoidance training is a great idea, if you are in an area where the snake incidence is high. A friend who hunts around Tucson wouldn't consider hunting without having his dogs trained.

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Airstream, Inc. or any of its affiliates. Airstream is a registered trademark of Airstream Inc. All rights reserved. Airstream trademark used under license to Social Knowledge LLC.